2013 RED BARON WCHA FINAL FIVE TICKET PACKAGES ON SALE NOW

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Xcel Energy Center and the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) announced today that all tournament packages for the 2013 Red Baron WCHA Final Five, to be held March 21-23 at Xcel Energy Center, go on sale at 10 a.m. today, Monday, Dec. 10. All tournament packages are $165 and $80 and can be purchased at the Xcel Energy Center Box Office, Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, charge by phone at 800-745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. To charge by phone using Ticketmaster TDD/TTY, call 800-359-2525. Groups (10+) call 651-312-3486.

Fans can celebrate college hockey with music, interactive games, food, beverages and more at the WCHA Fan Fest Friday, March 22 and Saturday, March 23 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the Bud Light Blue Line Bar and Grill (Xcel Energy Center – Gate 4). Cheerleaders, mascots and WCHA pep bands will also be present at this event with live music from Uncle Chunk on Friday and Playback on Saturday. The WCHA Fan Fest is free and open to the public.

College hockey fans will once again have the opportunity to get in on the tournament action with the return of the “Pick Your Final Five Sweepstakes.” Fans who enter will have a chance to win a prize of four (4) ticket packages to the 2014 WCHA Final Five.

Here's how the sweepstakes works:

• Visit www.xcelenergycenter.com/WCHA starting at 12:01 a.m. CT on Monday, Dec. 10.
• Choose the six (6) WCHA teams you predict will make it to the 2013 Red Baron WCHA Final Five.
• Choose the two (2) teams you predict will make the Championship game.
• Choose the 2013 Red Baron WCHA Championship winning team.
• Guess how many total goals will be scored during the 2013 Red Baron WCHA Final Five.

If more than one (1) person correctly answers all four (4) questions, all contestants with correct answers will be entered into a random drawing to determine the prize winner. If no one correctly answers all four (4) questions, those persons that answer the most number of questions correctly will be entered into a random drawing to determine the winner. The contest begins at 12:01 a.m. CT on Monday, Dec. 10, 2012, and ends at 11:59 p.m. CT on Friday, March 8, 2013. The winner will be announced by noon CT on Sunday, March 24, 2013.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.  The “Pick Your Final Five Sweepstakes” is subject in all respects to the complete Official Rules available at www.xcelenergycenter.com or by sending a S.A.S.E. to “Pick Your Final Five Sweepstakes - Rules Request”, c/o Saint Paul Arena Company, LLC, 175 W. Kellogg Blvd., Ste. 501, St. Paul, Minnesota  55102.  Open only to entrants who, as of the entry date, are permanent legal residents of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia who are at least 18 years old.  Void outside the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, and where prohibited or restricted by law.  Sweepstakes entry period begins at 12:01 a.m. Central Time (“CT”) on Dec. 10, 2012 and ends at 11:59 p.m. CT on March 8, 2013.  LIMIT: One (1) entry per person (regardless of method of entry) or address (physical or email).  Entry methods, limits, restrictions and instructions, and prize information and restrictions are set forth in the Official Rules.  Sponsor: Saint Paul Arena Company, LLC, 175 W. Kellogg Blvd., Ste. 501, St. Paul, Minnesota  55102. Click here to view complete Official Rules.  

Sioux 4, Pioneers 2 and SCS-EWWWWWW

Yet again the Sioux come out and take care of business, and this time they do it against a team that completely and totally owned them all season long until this point.

How much can be taken for this game? If there was ANY value to this game, most of it would lie in UND's side. DU was in the tourney. I can't find a way for them to drop lower than #3 (to be safe) in the PWR. There is no reason to really try outside of trying for the trifecta (McNaughton, Broadmoor, and National Title). UND is still in the tourney regardless and really only has two things to play for: The Broadmoor Trophy and a #1 seed in the tourney.

Nevertheless, the Sioux never trailed in this game. They went up 1-0 on Chris Vandevelde's rebound shot (initial shot made by Corbin Knight). They then went up 2-0 when Redwing77 Player of the Game Evan Trupp made a wicked one timer past Cheverie (thanks to an even more wicked pass by Frattin).

DU got within 1 when DU Dman Donovan basically skates a marathon, tiring out the UND players and buried a shot past Eidsness.

Trupp then scored the game winner on another one timer on the powerplay. UND would add another goal by Brad Malone (a thing of beauty) shorthanded thanks to again, RW77 POG Evan Trupp stealing the puck from Wiercioch and passing it back to Malone. And Knowlton of DU got a meaningless goal with 37 seconds left in the game to make it look good.

UND has now scored five short handed goals in the past 11 games. Impressive.

My three stars:

First Star (and Player of the Game): Evan Trupp
Second Star: Brad Malone (1g 1a)
Third Star: Matt Frattin (2a)

Honorable Mentions: Corbin Knight, Chris Vandevelde, Brad Eidsness

The officiating was, for the most part, meh. This is a big improvement over the whole deal as of late, but it still featured one bogus call. The haters loved it though, as it is one their favorite guy (they love him when he has a good game but they hate him if he makes a single mistake) Ben Blood.

What's Up Next

We're off to try for the Broadmoor against SCSU. The questions I have are:

1. How will UND approach Aaron Marvin in this game?
2. SCSU will be playing to win. If they do, there's a very good chance they'll leapfrog UND in the PWR rankings and become a #1 seed.
3. Who will start in net for the Huskies?
4. Will anyone be able to stop Evan Trupp or will they only hope to contain him?
5. Will the officials let UND play physical?
6. Will newly inaugurated Men's Freestyle Diving - Frozen Water Division Champion (screw this, I'm calling it the Robbie Earl Memorial Trophy from now on!) Garrett Roe put UND on the perpetual penalty kill?

I hope we play smart and let Marvin lie (hit him as hard as we can get away with provided it is legal would be best for me). We can't go on the powerplay.

We need to rest up because Roe WILL dive and we WILL go to the box for it. Oh, and Ben Blood, stay away from Roe because it is obvious the WCHA would see Roe diving with you near him as a double whammy!

Whew.... UND punches ticket to St. Paul Sioux 2 MTU 1

When I was looking at the match ups for this weekends WCHA playoff series I thought great we get the Huskies again. As most Sioux fans will tell you the Huskies are never a give me or an easy win and have beaten the 4 Sioux times in the last two seasons. True to form this weekends game were not easy. This weekend's series was way too close for my comfort, and I would have rather the Sioux closed out the Huskies last night. Tonight after the Huskies scored I thought I was going to have an anxiety attack and the feeling continued until the end of the game. I think I am going to start calling the Fighting Sioux the cardiac kids. Tonight the Sioux and Tech played another close tight checking game and got (2) two huge goals from my pick for P.O.Y. in the WCHA T.J. Oshie. How huge was T.J. Oshie this weekend? T.J. Oshie although slowed by injury had another strong weekend chipping in 4 points in the weekend series (3g-1a), Oshie was held scoreless on Saturday night and that may have led to the Sioux failing seal the deal. Not to be over looked also; Ryan Duncan (1g-2a) and Chay Genoway (0g-3a) were solid and had strong weekends as well on the stats sheet.

It would not be an understatement to say that the win(s) against the ever tough Michigan Tech Huskies did not come easy. I have to take my hat off to the Huskies because this series was the stereotypical, hard nosed hockey series as the Sioux were in a dog fight all weekend long. I guess you have to love parity in this league and this is a perfect example of how close our league is any team can win on any day. Every game the players have to strap it on and buckle down to get the wins.

Scoring/Penalties

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1st Period (20:00)
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MTU-1 Peter Rouleau (2-Cross-Checking) NDK 0x1 5:01
NDK-1 Ryan Duncan (2-Hooking) MTU 0x1 5:33
MTU 1 - 0 6x6 Tyler Shelast (16) (Alex Gagne) 11:27
MTU (+): 23,18,5,12,14,G29 NDK (-): 2,5,7,14,16,G1
NDK 1 - 1 6x6 T.J. Oshie (16) (Ryan Duncan, Chay Genoway) 14:09
NDK (+): 7,16,14,2,5,G1 MTU (-): 14,12,8,19,16,G29
MTU-2 John Schwarz (2-Roughing) 19:45
NDK-2 Chris VandeVelde (2-Roughing) 19:45

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2nd Period (20:00)
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NDK 2 - 1 5x5 GW LL T.J. Oshie (17) (Robbie Bina, Taylor Chorney) 0:19
NDK (+): 7,28,4,16,G1 MTU (-): 14,18,12,5,G29
MTU-3 Jimmy Kerr (2-Slashing) NDK 0x2 1:56
MTU-4 Drew Dobson (2-Holding the Stick) 11:41
NDK-3 Ryan Duncan (2-Hooking) 11:41
NDK-4 Joe Finley (2-Interference) MTU 0x2 17:59

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3rd Period (20:00)
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MTU-5 Jimmy Kerr (10-Misconduct) 10:35
NDK-5 Chay Genoway (2-Holding) MTU 0x3 13:41
Timeout - Michigan Tech 19:33

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End of Game


Scores of note

AHA: Air Force 5, Mercyhurst 4 (F in OT)
CHA: Niagara 3, Bemidji State 2 (F)
CCHA: Northern Michigan 3, Michigan State 2 - OT
EZAC: Colgate 3, Clarkson 2 - 2OT Clarkson = Over-rated
WCHA: Gophers 3 - Mavericks 2 (F in 2xOT)

I suppose the league office is excited that their meal ticket made the final five this weekend in St. Paul.